PETER WEBBER - A MID WALES MIGRATION SUCCESS STORY

During Easter 1981, successful businessman, Peter Webber, who co-founded Cellpath in Newtown, attended a Mid Wales Development Agency exhibition at Watford Station, which was the trigger for him to move the now multi-national business to Newtown, Mid Wales.

Peter (2nd from left), who was born in Middlesex, North London, worked for several scientific instrument companies before setting up a joint venture called Disc Instruments in 1966 with a US company. Peter took charge of their European operations before selling his equity in the business in 1970.

In 1972, what is known as Cellpath today, was started from the family home in Hemel Hempstead as Bethlehem Instruments, along with his wife and sons. The business became known as HistoLab and the family moved their business to a local farmhouse and converted offices later that year.

Up until 1981, HistoLab was subcontracting most of the manufacturing work and wanted to start manufacturing themselves. Therefore, Peter started searching across the country, including areas such as the North East and South Wales before he came across an interesting Mid Wales Development Exhibition at Watford station in 1981.

At this time, the Mid Wales Development Agency were touring the UK, looking to attract businesses to Mid Wales. An offer of a 3,000 sq ft unit on Mochdre Industrial Estate in Newtown and a house nearby was too good to turn down and Peter and his family moved the business to Newtown in 1982.

Peter was already familiar with the area because of his wife’s family, who lived nearby in Llanfair Caereinion. They frequently visited the area to which Peter and his family became fond of.

Peter’s son Paul joined him at Newtown during the move in 1982 and his younger son Philip joined in 1984. From the Mochdre unit, the company moved into cytology, offering an expanded product range that included spatulas, fixatives and slide boxes. In 1984, a further 3,000 sq foot extension was added to the Newtown premises. HistoLab continued to operate under two brands – HistoLab and CytoLab. These two companies merged in 1990 to form Cellpath. Sales began from Mid Wales in 1990, with Philip and Paul taking a more active role in growing the company.

Over the next decade, the company began manufacturing some of its best-known products - CerviBrush, CerviKit, Ortho Stains and the CytoFocus CD, to become the market leader of cytology products in the UK. In 1999 CellPath was sold to Medical Solutions PLC, an LSE-listed company. However, in December 2002, CellPath was purchased back by its founder members, the Webber Family and created CellNass, the national cellular pathology secure sample archive facility.

Peter retired soon after at the age of 65, but since then, Cellpath has expanded even further with more units purchased, including an International Distribution Centre in 2017. Cellpath won Wales Business of the Year in 2018 and has picked up other accolades along the way, including the Powys Business of the Year in 2014.

CellPath was acquired by US-based company StatLab in June 2022.

Peter and his wife moved to the local village of Berriew 15 years ago. When asked why Mid Wales has been a good home for his business ventures, Peter commented “The Welsh Government has always been very supportive with guidance and grants to purchase plant at our sites in Newtown.”

“The offer extended to me back in 1981 at the exhibition at Watford Station struck a chord with me. I was familiar with the area and the Mochdre site was ideal for what we wanted to develop. The access into Mid Wales via the M1 and M6 back then was perfect for us.”

“I truly believe that Mid Wales is a lovely place to live and work.”

Today, Peter is still very much involved in business with his latest venture XX02Cell Ltd, which specialises in Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) chambers from its base at Abermule Business Park, near Newtown. HBOT is a treatment for multiple conditions, helping patients from the first diagnosis to recovery, rehabilitation and maintenance.

“Our vision is to provide HBOT as an accepted and proven alternative treatment to assist in the recovery process and alleviate the pressure on the NHS,” said Mr Webber.

To find out more about ‘Moving to Mid Wales’ click here or contact us at info@mwmg.org